For months folks have been chomping at the bit to get at Pink Friday. Does it live up to the hype? Does anything ever?Minaj comes strong, hard, and quick with tight rhymes paired with poppy techno beats and eighties revival (Simple Minds, Annie Lennox, The Buggles). No doubt, this is a formidable debut worthy of your attention.The album is not without its flaws. Nicki spits power on Roman’s Revenge, but whiny whiteboy Eminem’s tired woman-beating rants drag her down and undermine her credibility. Why ladies like Minaj and Rihanna dim their shine with that misogynistic troll, I’ll never understand.Nicki’s at her best grimy and bass-heavy on Did it on ‘Em, though this moody track isn’t a likely hit single.

“If I had a dick, I would pull it out and piss on ’em.”

Rihanna does some interesting vocal work on Fly, but I wish these two ball-busters had recorded a track with sharper teeth. Collaboration-heavy Pink Friday also includes moments with will.i.am, Kanye West, and Drake. Occasionally, all this collabo feels like gilding the lily.

Shawn wrote asking about the “D” jackets Brad Goreski wore on The RZP this season. Well Shawn, after some exhaustive research, I’ve got an answer for you. I’m pretty damn sure Dsquared designed the jacket you desire. As we all know, Brad hearts his Dsquared. The white and black tuxedo bomber jacket he rocked in Milan looks like a variation on a theme Dean and Dan presented for S/S 2010. I’m not sure who he had to blow to get it, because I couldn’t find a picture of that exact jacket anywhere else.

The version of the jacket Brad wears is sort of a combination of these two looks.

The Dream fancies it too.

There is even a version for the ladies.

Okay Shawn, I’m not sure if you are rolling in dough or what, but these puppies cost upwards of $1,000. Also, since this is last season’s style, who knows if it is still available? Honestly, I think you could create this look, DIY-style, for much less. With such a trendy item, only you can decide if it is worth the investment.

Varsity letter patches are widely available for under $20. You can customize your letter (“S” for Shawn, holler), and they come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. A vintage tux jacket shouldn’t be too hard to find. You could turn this look out in no time, trust.

Truthfully, Rihanna’s new record really kinda sucks. She musta caught the Christina AguileraBionic virus. Symptoms include: repetitious, unoriginal, over-sexed lyrics, forgettable beats, and rushing out an uninventive, stylistically scattershot record. Drinking, S&M references, and cunnilingus, this tired parade of pseudo-sex-shock is all well-tread territory.She’s at her best on this record (which in this case is minimally competent) when she puts on her shiny dancehall pants and works her patois, but don’t be thinking there is an Umbrella or even Pon de Replay buried in this mediocre mess. You’ve surely heard the Eminem track Love the Way You Lie (Blair and Chuck wore that shit out a few weeks ago). I have no use for Eminem, and I’m telling you their duet is one of the highlights of Loud.

You guys seen this weird little documentary Cropsey? Billed as an investigation into a child-napping urban legend, it serves as a good reminder of the myriad of reasons we should steer clear of Staten Island. This movie is a bit all over the place in both its message and focus (satanic cults, obsessed murder-victim fans, hapless defense attorneys). The best part of the film is the inclusion of an exposé Geraldo Rivera did in 1972 on the Willowbrook mental institution located on Staten Island that serves as the geographical black heart of the child-killing legends. Rivera’s clips are the most disturbing and compelling part of the film because it is actual footage of severely disabled kids writhing naked in their own excrement, dumped on Staten Island like Manhattan’s trash. The film doesn’t make any decisions for you, and by the end you may or may not have a theory about Cropsey. Regardless, the images of these children will haunt you for days.

In the story of the Tarot, The Fool takes the journey through the Major Arcana so that we may learn from his mistakes and triumphs. There is an implied warning here: don’t be foolish, naive, or overly trusting. While you gaze at the sky, keep one eye on the earth, so you don’t walk off a cliff. Embrace the new start, but don’t ignore the little voice yapping at your heels.

Anyone with any fashion industry experience is well-acquainted with the Jiffy J-4000 garment steamer. Steaming is bitchwork for sure, but the J-4000 makes it almost enjoyable. Certainly, the steamer kicks the iron’s ass.

Don’t get cheap when buying a steamer. Steaming with an underpowered steamer is the most frustrating, tedious, and sweltering experience. You will be tempted to purchase the slightly less expensive J-2000, but you should waste neither time nor money on anything but what the professionals use — the Jiffy J-4000. Consider yourself warned and informed.Why steam? Steaming deodorizes, removes wrinkles, and gently freshens garments. It is better for the environment than dry cleaning and ultimately far less expensive. Once you invest it a high quality steamer, you’ll be stymied how you lived so long without one. One word of advice – wear gloves and long sleeves when you steam. The steamer head gets super hot and burns like a motherfucker.